Other Top 25 lists: SP | OF | 1B
These rankings are based on projected cumulative value over the next 5 years. Minor league players have been excluded. I tend to favor power and upside over the ‘won’t hurt you’ players.
| Rank | Player | Birthdate | Career Mode |
| 1 | Matt Wieters | 5/21/86 | Growth |
| 2 | Carlos Santana | 4/8/86 | Growth |
| 3 | Brian McCann | 2/20/84 | Prime |
| 4 | Joe Mauer | 4/19/83 | Prime |
| 5 | Jesus Montero | 11/28/89 | Growth |
| 6 | Buster Posey | 3/27/87 | Growth |
| 7 | Miguel Montero | 7/9/83 | Prime |
| 8 | Alex Avila | 1/29/87 | Growth |
| 9 | Victor Martinez | 12/23/78 | Slight Decline |
| 10 | Mike Napoli | 10/31/81 | Prime |
| 11 | Wilson Ramos | 8/10/87 | Growth |
| 12 | Geovany Soto | 1/20/83 | Prime |
| 13 | Devin Mesoraco | 6/19/88 | Growth |
| 14 | Chris Iannetta | 4/8/83 | Prime |
| 15 | J.P. Arencibia | 1/5/86 | Growth |
| 16 | Yadier Molina | 7/13/82 | Prime |
| 17 | Kurt Suzuki | 10/4/83 | Prime |
| 18 | Ryan Doumit | 4/3/81 | Prime |
| 19 | Jarrod Saltalamacchia | 5/2/85 | Growth |
| 20 | Ryan Lavarnway | 8/7/87 | Growth |
| 21 | Russell Martin | 2/15/83 | Prime |
| 22 | Hank Conger | 1/29/88 | Growth |
| 23 | Jesus Flores | 10/26/84 | Growth |
| 24 | Wilin Rosario | 2/23/89 | Growth |
| 25 | Jason Castro | 6/18/87 | Growth |
Matt Wieters’ combination of youth, power, contact ability and pedigree earn him the top spot on this list. His second half power breakout allows those of us who have been patient to breathe a sigh of relief. Those who lost patience and cut-bait early … I’m sorry but you blew it.
Carlos Santana’s power and patient approach landed him second on the list and could propel him past Wieters if he gets some BABIP help. If Cleveland continues to play him at 1B or DH on his off days he could post an MVP-like season at some point in the near future.
Brian McCann and Joe Mauer are the old guard of top Cs. Both are still in their prime and a big season from either at any point wouldn’t surprise. In terms of on-field performance there is very little risk in rostering Mauer or McCann for the next few years.
Jesus Montero may be the surprise ranking of this list since many don’t think of him as a C and in terms of real-life baseball he probably isn’t. However, depending on your league settings he may already qualify at C for the 2012 fantasy baseball season and if not he likely will before long. The offensive upside is similar to that of Wieters and Santana, but he will benefit from DHing most nights and thus avoid the wear-and-tear of catching on a regular basis, not to mention the mental stress …
I like Miguel Montero quite a bit and think he has the potential to out produce anyone on this list in 2012 … I wouldn’t be surprised to see Alex Avila’s BA drop below .250 in 2012, but the power and patience are real and drive his value … Mike Napoli’s production will decrease in 2012, the only question is, by how much? He’s still a good bet to hit for power and moderate BA … Wilson Ramos has a solid set of skills to be a successful major league C for the next decade, but don’t expect more power growth until he changes his approach and starts hitting the ball in the air more often … The ballpark change won’t benefit Chris Iannetta (Coors greatly enhances LH power while Angel Stadium slightly depresses it), but a full-time gig certainly will. Maybe he’s the 2012 version of Napoli?
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